Noah Wiswall (2)

Wiswall, Elder Thomas (d. 1683), removed from Dorchester to Cambridge Village probably in 1654. His farm in the Village consisted of about four hundred acres, including the Pond which bears his name, being the northerly part of the grant of one thousand acres made by the General Court to Governor Haynes in 1634. His house stood upon the southerly bank of the pond, and was afterwards owned and occupied by Deacon Luther Paul and his heirs. The front part of the house was built in 1744 by the elder's great-grandson, Captain Noah Wiswall, and stands on the same spot chosen by the elder. His inventory specifics two hundred and seven acres of land.

Wiswall, Captain Noah. His son Thomas bought out the other heirs and took the homestead of Captain Noah Wiswall in « 1698, and purchased the widow's thirds in 1703. This homestead was probably the southerly part of Elder Wiswall's farm. The widow of Captain Noah Wiswall had ninety acres, and his son Thomas ninety-five acres.

Wiswall, Lieutenant Ebenezer, son of Elder Thomas Wiswall, (d. 1G91). His house, barn and ninety-five acres of laud were appraised at £230. This was probably the residue of the elder's homestead. His executors sold his estate, one hundred and twenty acres more or less, in 1694, to Nathaniel Parker, with barn and outhouses thereon, bounded west and northwest by land of Thomas Wiswall; south by land in possession of the widow Sarah Wiswall.

Wiswall, Lieutenant Thomas, son of Captain Noah (d. 1709), took the homestead of his father. His estate was divided thus: ninety-five acres of land to his widow, who had become the wife of David Newman and was again widowed, her thirds, and to his sons Thomas, Ichabod, Noah, and Nathaniel Longley; to his oldest son Noah Wiswall, thirty-seven and a quarter acres and the buildings; to Thomas and Ichabod, sixteen and a half acres, bounded on the north side partly by the Great Pond; Mrs. Hannah, eighty and a half acres on the north side of the road and house. Nathaniel Parker bought out the heirs and widow's thirds, and took part of the land of Captain Noah Wiswall.

Wiswall, Captain Noah, son of Lieutenant Thomas Wiswall (d. 1786), took down the ancient house built by Elder Thomas Wiswall, and built the front part of the house as it now (1880) stands. He gave the land on which was erected the First Baptist meeting-house, on the east side of the pond.

S. F. Smith's "life of Reverend Mr. Grafton" states that Captain Noah was in the battle of Lexington. Three of his sons and some of his sons-in-law were in the East Newton Company, commanded by his son, Captain Jeremiah Wiswall. After the company had marched for Lexington, he started on foot and alone to follow them, saying, "I wish to see what the boys are doing." It seems almost impossible that he could have endured the march and the fatigues of the day, as he was then seventy-six years of age, but the roll of the East Newton Company, in the battle of Lexington, now in the office of the secretary of state of Massachusetts and sworn to by the captain of that company before Judge Fuller, shows that he was in the company, and also several other aged men were volunteers in the ranks of the company on that day.

Sources: Title: The Wiswall Family Hanbook, by Joseph Michael Wiswall
http://worldconnect.genealogy.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GE T&db=:2721888&id=I549430558